Australia's Creative Capital To Welcome W Melbourne In 2020

Iconic Luxury Lifestyle Brand to Bring Bold Design and Innovative Programming to the Renowned Scene on Flinders Lane

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Feb 02, 2017, 11:26 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- W Hotels Worldwide, now part of Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR), today announced it expects to open W Melbourne in 2020. Developed in partnership with Daisho Development Melbourne Pty Ltd and Cbus Property, W Melbourne will be located in the heart of the city's trendy shopping and entertainment district, at 447 Collins Street. Part of the $1 billion AUD mixed-use luxury development Collins Arch., W Melbourne will fuse the brand's signature Whatever/Whenever® service and innovative programming with Melbourne's hip and historic setting. The expansion into Melbourne marks the second W Hotel coming to Australia, following W Brisbane which is scheduled to open its doors in 2018.

"Melbourne, with its vibrant music, emerging fashion and bold street art, is a destination made for the W brand," said Anthony Ingham, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide. "Located in the epicentre of the city, W Melbourne will embody the city's creative spirit while showcasing the brand's bold and energetic take on luxury."

Offering 294 spacious guestrooms, including 40 suites and an Extreme Wow Suite (the brand's take on the traditional Presidential Suite), W Melbourne will be designed by award-winning SHoP Architects from New York, global design practice Woods Bagot and interior design specialists Hachem. The hotel will feature a vibrant bar and restaurant, an AWAY spa, FIT state-of-the-art workout facility, and WET indoor heated swimming pool.

W Melbourne will shake up the city's hospitality scene with its future forward design, signature amenities and full calendar of W Happenings, showcasing what's new and next in fashion, music and design. Guests can expect the brand's iconic Whatever/Whenever service philosophy that promises whatever guests want, whenever they want it. W Melbourne will also cater to those looking for an extraordinary location for their next event or meeting, featuring nearly 13,000 square feet of ultra-modern conference, ballroom and meeting space.

"We're extremely excited to be working with Daisho Development Melbourne Pty Ltd. and Cbus Property to bring a second W Hotel to Australia," said Rajeev Menon, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) at Marriott International. "Melbourne is one of Australia's most beloved cultural hubs with a strong global tourism industry, making it the perfect setting for this innovative lifestyle brand."

The addition of W Melbourne to Marriott International's Australian portfolio will complement W Brisbane, which is slated to open in 2018. Loyal fans of the brand will revel in being able to experience two energetic Australian cities and two iconic properties within one hour's flight time of each other.

"From the outset, it was our intention to secure a hotel brand which would introduce a new take on luxury to Melbourne, complementing the rest of the Collins Arch development and forming an important part of the project's vibrant offering," said Mamoru Kohda, Director of Daisho. "W Hotels is the perfect fit for Melbourne, and we look forward to this becoming one of Australia's most sought after and talked about hotels."

Collins Arch, a mixed-use development comprised of two towers which house a vibrant mix of premium office, retail and commercial space, are linked at the top by a residential bridge. Guests can access W Melbourne from multiple entry points across William Street, Market Street and Collins Street, with the Living Room (the brand's take on the staid hotel lobby) and port cochère located on Flinders Lane.

W Melbourne will join the brand's robust portfolio of 50 hotels around the globe, including the recently opened W Las Vegas, W Goa and W Punta de Mita, as well as the soon-to-open W Panama, W Shanghai and W Tel Aviv. W Hotels is on track to reach 75 hotels by 2020.

Note on Forward-Looking Statements: The statements about the expansion of the W hotel portfolio over the next five years and expected North American hotel openings by the end of 2020 are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, not historical facts, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including supply and demand changes for hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; the availability of capital to finance hotel growth; and other risk factors identified in the most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q that Marriott International, Inc. has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by those statements. Those statement is made as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About W Hotels Worldwide

Born from the bold attitude and 24/7 culture of New York City, W Hotels has disrupted and redefined the hospitality scene for nearly two decades. Trailblazing its way around the globe, W is on track to reach 75 hotels by 2020, defying expectations and breaking the norms of traditional luxury wherever the iconic W sign lands. With a mission to fuel guests' lust for life, W ignites an obsessive desire to soak it in, live it up and hit repeat. The brand's provocative design, iconic Whatever/Whenever service and buzzing Living Rooms create an experience that is often copied but never matched. Innovative, inspiring and infectious, the brand's super-charged energy celebrates guests' endless appetite to discover what's new/next in each destination, to see more, feel more, go longer, stay later. W Hotels Worldwide is proud to participate in the industry's award-winning loyalty program, Starwood Preferred Guest®. Members can now link accounts with Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® at members.marriott.com for instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer. For more information on W Hotels, visit whotels.com/theangle or follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is the world's largest hotel company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with over 6,000 properties in more than 120 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company's 30 leading brands include: Bulgari®, The Ritz-Carlton® and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve®, St. Regis®, W®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, The Luxury Collection®, Marriott Hotels®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Renaissance® Hotels, Sheraton®, Delta Hotels by Marriott^SM, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Tribute Portfolio™, Design Hotels™, Gaylord Hotels®, Courtyard®, Four Points® by Sheraton, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, Residence Inn®, TownePlace Suites®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Aloft®, Element®, Moxy® Hotels, and Protea Hotels by Marriott®. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com and @MarriottIntl.

Daisho Group is headquartered in Japan, with offices in Malaysia, Singapore and Brisbane. Daisho acquires, develops, and manages the most desirable hotels and commercial buildings throughout the Asia-Pacific. The organisation now holds a portfolio of iconic property assets worth in excess of US$2 billion. www.daisho-aus.com

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.